This Gate is part of the Channel of Struggle, A Design of Stubbornness, linking the Root Center (Gate 38) to the Splenic Center (Gate 28). Gate 38 is part of the Individual (Knowing) Circuit with the keynote of empowerment.

The 38th gate exerts pressure on us and those around us to discover the value of our own lives. There must be a reason to exist, a purpose, and something to love that elevates struggle beyond simply surviving. Backed by the energy to oppose, we are capable of forcefully confronting adversity itself. We actually enjoy a good fight. Purpose for us is enhanced when we stand up for those who can't stand up for themselves, if it is correct for us to do so. Others might experience this energy as a fierce independence, a highly focused stubbornness to meet a challenge, even death, head on. In truth, we are simply seeking a reason for living. Our determination to persevere empowers others to discern for themselves which individuating struggles have value or not. To know what is worth fighting for and to avoid wasting energy by engaging in battles that are not correct for us, we look to the intuitive awareness potential of Gate 28. Since Gate 38 is one of the three gates of deafness that protects our individuality from being influenced by others, we preserve our personal integrity by opposing those forces that would compromise us.